Roller machine for processing goods

ABSTRACT

A roller machine, for processing goods in web or sheet form or textile articles, of the type comprising a driven roller over the periphery which the goods travel. The roller is suspended by being slung in bights of two endless flexible elements which are spaced apart lengthwise of the roller and are themselves guided and supported to circulate in endless paths, at least one of which elements is driven and rotates the roller. This mode of mounting and driving the roller places virtually no restriction on the roller diameter and permits of there being, at least at one end of the roller, an aperture of adequate size to permit the introduction of gas or electrical heating apparatus or oil fired apparatus. It is also possible to arrange for a positive drive without any clatter.

United States Patent 1191 3,8 5 Bates 1 1451 July 9, 1 974 [5 ROLLER MACHINE FOR PROCESSING 3,659,347 5/1972 Wallstenm, 34/124 GOODS Inventor: Emile Bernard Bates, 11 Barrington Rd., Stoneygate,'Leicester, England Filed: July 17, 1972 Appl. No.: 272,640

US. Cl.....- 34/121, 34/111, 34/124, 74/219, 165/89, 226/171 Int. Cl. F26b 1l/02 Fieldof Search 34/110, 111, 113, 120-129, 34/112, 117, 186, 239, 240, 150-162; 226/171,181,183,190,l94;74/219;165/89 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Ebersol 34/111 Deck et a1. 34/121 [57] ABSTRACT A roller machine, for processing goods in web or sheet form or textile articles, of the type comprising a driven roller over the periphery which the goods travel. The

roller is suspended by being slung in bights of two endless flexible elements which are spaced apart lengthwise of the roller and are themselves guided and supported to circulate in endless paths, at least one of which elements is driven and rotates the roller. This mode of mounting and driving the roller places virtually no restriction on the roller diameter and permits of there being, at least at one end of the roller, an aperture of adequate size to permit the introduction .of

gas or electrical heating apparatus or oil fired apparatus. It isalso possible to arrange for a positive drive without any clatter. I

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUL 9 I974 SHEET 3 BF 3 I 1 I ROLLER MACHINE FOR PROCESSING us This invention concerns a roller machine, for processing goods in web or sheet form or textile articles, of the type comprising a driven roller over the periphery which the goods travel. The invention is especially applicable to calendering machines including blanket calenders, ironing machines, machines for heat setting heat-settable textiles, and printing machines.

In machines of the type referred to above, the roller is commonly mounted on trunnions or on jockey wheels. In the case of machines for processing textile goods, the roller commonly requires to be heated and if the goods are composedof heat-settable man-made fibres, it requires to be heated to a temperature which is above that conveniently obtained by the use of steam, for example, by means of gas, oil or electricity. The mounting'of the roller on trunnions renders it difficult to mount an adequate gas, oil or electric heating apparatus within its interior for the trunnions necessarily restrict the size of any aperture through which the heating apparatus can be introduced and supplied. On the other hand if the roller is supported on jockey wheels it is difficult to achieve a smooth and chatterless rotation of the roller. It is also difficult to achieve a positive drive and to achieve a precise axial location of the roller.

The present invention provides the roller machine, for processing goods in web or sheet form or textile articles, of the type comprising a driven roller over the periphery of which the goods travel, characterised in that the roller is suspended by being slung in bights of twoendless flexible elements which are spaced apart lengthwise of the'roller and are themselves guided and supported to circulate in endless paths, at least one of which elements is driven and rotates the roller. This mode of mounting and driving the roller places virtually no restriction on the roller diameter and permits of there being, at least at one end of the roller, an aperture of adequate size to permit the introduction of gas or electrical heating apparatus or oil fired apparatus. It is also possible to arrange for a positive drive without any clatter.

Preferably, both elements are driven at the same speed and both rotate the roller.

In one construction according to the invention each element dependsfrom and travels part way round at least one rotatable member positioned above the roller. In an alternative construction, the bight of each element depends between two rotatable members, positioned at opposite sides of the roller. I

Preferably, at least one of the elements is a chain or toothed belt, the bight of which engages teeth aroundthe periphery of the roller to drive the latter.

In a machine which has heating means inside the roller for heating it, there may be support means, other than the roller and flexible elements, for supporting the heating means.

In order that the invention may be better understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which are to some extent diagrammatic and in which:

FIG. 1 is an end elevation of the relevant parts of a blanket calendering machine according to this inventron;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of part of the machine;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the relevant parts of another blanket calendering machine.

The machine illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a calender roller or drum 10 which is open at its ends and near each end is suspended by being slung in the bights of two endless, precision link chains 11 which are spaced apart lengthwise of the roller and are themselves guided and supported to circulate in endless paths, each chain being in driving engagement with a ring of teeth 12 around the periphery of the roller near the end thereof. The chains pass part way round the peripheries of, and depend from, driving sprockets 13 mounted above the roller 10. Each ring may have, at each side of the teeth, a smooth peripheral track which is engaged by the links.

An endless blanket 14 travels over a blanket roller 15 which is disposed between the roller 10 and the sprocket 13, over a further roller 16 at one side roller 10, then over the upper part of the periphery roller 10, and round third-blanket roller 17 disposed at the other side of roller 10. The goods to be-processed travel between the periphery of the roller and the surface of the blanket. The width of the blanket is slightly less than the distance between the two rings 12 of teeth on roller 10. The blanket rollers 16 and 17 are driven by chain and sprocket gearing indicated generally at 18 and 19, the linear speed of the blanket being substantially the same as the peripheral speed of the roller 10.

Suitable means are provided for locating the roller 10 endwise. Such means may, for example consist of guide rollers or runners (not shown) engaging plain faces of the gear ring or rings 12. 3

Roller 10 is positioned sideways either by the blanket 14 or by the blanket rollers 16 and 17.

Non-rotatable heating apparatus 20 is supported in the interior of the roller 10 by supports 21 consisting of acentral shaft 22 supported at each end of the roller on uprights 23. The heating apparatus comprises a cylinder 24 carried by the shaft 22'by means of its end walls 25. Cylinder 24 carries a series of heating elements 26 which maybe encased tube electric heating elements, or oil or gas burners (using, for example town gas at 500 BTU. per cu. foot or propane at 2,500 B.T.U. per cu. foot). These heating elements are readily supplied through the supports 21, or otherwise through an open end of the cylinder 10.

In order that the. heating apparatus 20 may readily be inserted into or withdrawn from the roller 10 through an open end thereof, the end walls 25 of cylinder 24 are slotted as shown at 27 in FIG. 1.

In the machine as shown in FIG. 3 the bight of each chain depends between two sprockets 28, 29 positioned at opposite sides of the roller 10 and the chains run in their endless paths over other sprockets 30, 31 so as to pass beneath the roller. The blanket is not shown; it may run over the upper or lower part of the periphery of roller 10, being guided for example by means of blanket rollers located between each pair of sprockets 28 and 29.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for heat processing goods in web or sheet form comprising a heated driven roller including heating means within the roller and having a periphery over which the goods travel to be heat-processed, said roller being supported with its longitudinal axis horizontal; the improvement wherein the roller is supported horizontally by being slung in bights of two endless flexible elements which'are spaced apart lengthwise of the roller with each of the endless elements being located at an end of said roller to permit goods in web or sheet form to travel over the periphery of said roller, said endless elements being guided and supported to circulate in endless paths, at least one of said endless elements being driven for rotating said roller.

2. A machine according to claim 1, in which both elements are driven at the same speed and rotate the roller.

3. A machine according to claim 1, in which each element depends from, and travels part way round at least one rotatable member positioned above the roller.

4. A machine according to claim 1, in which the bight of each element depends between two rotatable members positioned at opposite sides of the roller.

5. A machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the elements is a chain or toothed belt the bight 9. A machine according to claim 7, in which the blanket travels round the lower part of the roller periphery.

10. A machine according to claim 1, including support means, other than the roller and flexible elements,

for supporting the heating means within the roller. 

1. In a machine for heat processing goods in web or sheet form comprising a heated driven roller including heating means within thE roller and having a periphery over which the goods travel to be heat-processed, said roller being supported with its longitudinal axis horizontal; the improvement wherein the roller is supported horizontally by being slung in bights of two endless flexible elements which are spaced apart lengthwise of the roller with each of the endless elements being located at an end of said roller to permit goods in web or sheet form to travel over the periphery of said roller, said endless elements being guided and supported to circulate in endless paths, at least one of said endless elements being driven for rotating said roller.
 2. A machine according to claim 1, in which both elements are driven at the same speed and rotate the roller.
 3. A machine according to claim 1, in which each element depends from, and travels part way round at least one rotatable member positioned above the roller.
 4. A machine according to claim 1, in which the bight of each element depends between two rotatable members positioned at opposite sides of the roller.
 5. A machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the elements is a chain or toothed belt the bight of which engages teeth around the periphery of the roller to drive the latter.
 6. A machine according to claim 1 including roller positioning means for positioning the roller axially.
 7. A machine according to claim 1, comprising an endless blanket which travels part way round the periphery of the roller and between which and the roller periphery the goods travel.
 8. A machine according to claim 7, in which the blanket travels round the upper part of the roller periphery.
 9. A machine according to claim 7, in which the blanket travels round the lower part of the roller periphery.
 10. A machine according to claim 1, including support means, other than the roller and flexible elements, for supporting the heating means within the roller. 